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THIS WEEK’S FRUIT:
Tarocco Blood Oranges
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
A beautiful orange to deep red flesh is revealed when you slice open a Tarocco. The flesh of the blood orange is firmer and more dense than an orange and its flavor is a little more tart. These beauties sweeten and darken in color as the season progresses.
Moro Blood Oranges
Frog Hollow Farm, Brentwood, CA
Moros have a deep red flesh and tart flavor with a rind that tends to blush into hues of red. The Moro is a wonderfull orange for juicing or cooking due to its bright flavor and color.
Navel Oranges
Olson Organics, Lindsay, CA
California Navel Oranges are considered to be the best Navels for eating out of hand. They have a thick skin that is easy to peel, are seedless and have a meaty and sweet flesh that makes them a perfect snack. To read more about Ken Olson, please see previos blog post at http://bit.ly/2grsBOE.
Fuji Apples
Smit Farm, Linden, CA
Fujis are a cross between Red Delicious and Ralls Janet, an heirloom apple dating back to Thomas Jefferson. They are one of the sweetest variety apples around making them a household favorite.
Pink Lady Apples
Smit Farm, Linden, CA
Pink Lady’s are a cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. They are a crisp and juicy apple with a tart finish. Pink skins and a creamy white colored flesh that resists browning make this an excellent apple for salads and slicing.
Hass Avocados
Bravocado, San Diego, CA
Creamy in texture, nutty in flavor, with a small to medium seed. The Hass skin is easy to peel and darkens from green to purplish-black as it ripens.
…all varieties are subject to change…
A NOTE FROM CHEF BECKY:
Dear CSA Members,
I am sitting in the upstairs office writing to you — the wind is howling outside and water is blowing off the packing shed roof. I cannot believe this weather! Sometimes it feels like it will never stop raining. It’s been so rainy and muddy I have hardly been able to go out into the orchard and experience the arrival of Spring. The brief respite we had this last week allowed me to take walks in the orchard and see the trees starting bloom, which I had not seen. The apricot flowers are opening like popcorn, with white flowers bursting out of their dark pink jackets. I can smell the strong honey-like fragrance of the plum blossoms. The orchard floor is thick and lush with dark green grass and the mustard flowers sprinkle yellow everywhere. But with this current storm, it will probably be at least a week before I can out there again.
All of the fruit has been picked, the Taroccos, the Moros, the Meyers, the Kumquats and finally the Sevilles and the Bergamots. Now, it’s time to make marmalade, and lots of it.
I can see the immediate benefits of all this rain. The winter veges are thriving with all this water. We have been enjoying the most delicious broccoli, kale and lettuces from our garden. The broccoli stems are so tender they don’t even need to be peeled. The cabbage is the sweetest I have ever tasted. This rain has been so wonderful for the veges, offering free water and nitrogen and mixing in all the amendments and nutrients into the soil making it more available for the plant. I am convinced that the rain is keeping off (at least so far) the aphids that have plagued our fava beans for the last 2 years. The plants are standing strong and upright looking lush and green. There are no little black spots or holes in any of the leaves. The flowers are full and bright white with their characteristic velvety, black eye unblemished by critters.
So, I am grateful, even though it feels like it will never end. I am enjoying its results and I know the most beautiful, lush green Springs awaits, right around the corner.
Cheers,
Chef Becky
